Bamboo tooth brush



Awri 79 "1@3@ a1- mgm-M@ Zf BAMBOO TOOTH BRUSH l Filed. Deo. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l @Ef J4 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFM@ 2 Claims.

It is well known that bamboo has an outer cuticle or epidermis, herein referred to as the skin, containing wax and silicon which give this skin its characteristic polish or lustre, and also account for its great hardness and make it impervious to moisture to a very remarkable degree. One object of my invention is to provide a tooth brush having the bristles planted in a bamboo head and extending through a surface impermeable to moisture. A further object is to provide a tooth brush made of bamboo and having at least a part of the thickness of the outer skin of the bamboo extending along the face of the i head and stem of the brush with the bristles extending through such skin. Still another object is to provide the brush with a head and stem formed from bamboo with the outer bamboo skin extending from end to end of the face of the head and stem, while the back of the head and stern.has a hollow surface formed by the natural inner surface of the bamboo.

It is well known of course that the bamboo outer skin is not in the form of a clearly defined separable layer, but, on the contrary, merges into the softer woody portion of the bamboo, and I have discovered that the outer skin of the bamboo may be cut or shaped for the purpose of producing a brush having the desired shape and dimensions while still providing a wax and silicon containing surface through which the bristles may protrude.

An important advantage of my invention is that the brushes may be cut from bamboo stems of small diameter so that the outer skin may be located on the face of the head and stem of the brush while the inner natural surface or finish of the bamboo may serve as the back of the brush, thus providing a longitudinally grooved back which provides a stem or handle that may be very effectively and conveniently gripped by the hand of the user.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts of the brush as hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form and proportions and in minor details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of a tooth brush made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a View of the same looking on the back of the brush; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are cross-sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, ll-ll and 5-5 respectively; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the improved brush grasped by the hand as in use; Fig. 7 is a side view showing a piece of bamboo from which a tooth brush may be made and drawn to the same scale as Figs. l and 2; Fig. 8 is a cross-section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. '7; and Fig. 9 is a sectional View showing part of a brush handle with dotted lines indicating the cross section of the bamboo from which the hanl0 dle is out.

The tooth brush shown in the drawings is cut from the stem Il (Fig. 7) between the joints I2 of the bamboo and the hollow or concave back I3 of the head I4 and handle I5 of the brush has l5 a lustrous finish provided by the natural internal surface I6 (Figs. 8 and 9) of the bamboo stem while the flat face I'I of the head I4 of the brush and the convex face I9 of the handle I5 are formed of the outer hard lustrous skin of the 20 bamboo. The tufts of bristles I8 are planted and anchored in any suitable or well known manner in the head I4 of the brush so that they protrude through the skin of the bamboo and the tufts of bristles are thus surrounded by and pro- 2 trude from a smooth lustrous surface containing natural wax and silicon and thus providing a facing impervious to moisture, so that the brush may be kept clean and the formation of dark stains at the roots of the bristles is entirely avoided.

The brush is preferably cut with a reduced portion 20 between the head M and handle I5 and while the face II of the head I4 is preferably flat the said face I9 0f the handle may be either flat or rounded as shown at Figs. 5 and 9 and this shaping of the faces Il and I9 may be effected without losing the advantages of the bamboo skin, due to the fact that the skin penetrates to a substantial depth into the bamboo, and this formation of the handle provides a lustrous waterproof finish throughout substantially the entire handle.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the fingers of the hand may rest in the longitudinally grooved or hollow back I3 of the handle, which thus provides a very satisfactory grip, facilitating the proper vertical movement of the tooth brush, as is recommended for the effective cleaning of the teeth and of the crevices therebetween.

By thus utilizing the outside hard and lustrous skin of the bamboo, I provide a very durable surface at the base of the bunches of bristles in the tooth brush and the natural lustre provides an attractive appearance and, by utilizing the natural internal surface of the bamboo to provide a concave back for the tooth brush, relatively small bamboo stems may be employed, thus ncreasing the economy in production and, due to the fact that neither the inner natural surface nor the outer cuticle or skin are removed from the bamboo, I have found that production of the brushes may be continued Without interruption even during rainy seasons, as the bamboo stems harvested during rainy Weather may be effectively employed in the manufacture of such brushes.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, I desire to be in no Way limited to the details of such disclosure for in the further practical application of my invention, changes in the form and construction may be made as circumstances require or experience suggests Without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A tooth brush comprising a bamboo handle and head with the natural internal surface of the bamboo stem exposed at the back thereof, and With the hard outer silicon and Wax-containing skin of the bamboo forming the face of the brush head, and bristles planted in the brush head and extending through said outer skin.

2. A tooth brush of bamboo having the natural lustrous internal surface of the bamboo stem exposed in the form of a longitudinal groove extending from end to end of the handle and head of the brush and having the hard lustrous outer skin of the bamboo forming the face of the head and handle of the brush in combination with tufts of bristles planted in the head of the brush and extending through the said outer skin.

-' TORAZO NISHIO. 

